The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an input device, an information processing method, and a program.
A keyboard is commonly used as an input device for an information processing device, such as personal computers (PCs). Nowadays a touch panel that is used as a thin keyboard is spreading widely. In the keyboard that employs a touch panel, a GUI component corresponding to each key arranged on the keyboard is displayed on a display surface of the touch panel on which the user can select one or more displayed keys, and thus information associated with the selected key is inputted to the information processing device.
In the keyboard using a touch panel, a key is inputted by touching the touch panel with an operating object such as the user's finger, and thus unintended contact of the operating object with the touch panel will be detected and an erroneous key input may be occurred. To prevent such an erroneous input (erroneous detection) to the touch panel, the user is typically necessary to keep the finger away from the touch panel as long as there is no key input, resulting in a cause of low degree of usability. A large number of techniques have been developed to prevent an erroneous input (erroneous detection) to a touch panel.
For example, JP 2009-141819A discloses a technique that detects an operation input when a voltage value is more than or equal to a predetermined threshold and a differential value is limited within a predetermined range over a predetermined time of period in an electrostatic capacitive touch sensor device provided in in-vehicle equipment. The voltage value represents the presence or absence of an operation (contact) on a touch sensor. The differential value indicates a time variation of the voltage value. JP 2011-154645A and JP 2011-154564A disclose a technique for using a keyboard using an electrostatic capacitive touch panel, which is provided with a load sensor for detecting a load imposed on an electrostatic capacitive touch panel to determine the presence or absence of an operation input. The determination is performed depending on the magnitude of the load, the position at which the load is detected, and the time at which the load more than or equal to a predetermined threshold is detected, which are detected by the load sensor. According to the techniques disclosed in JP 2009-141819A, JP 2011-154645A, and JP 2011-154564A, the operation input is detected only when the physical quantity representing the intensity of the contact of an operation object on the touch panel (touch sensor) satisfies a predetermined condition, and thus erroneous detection of unintended operation input may be prevented.